The Buffalo Bills selected UF cornerback Kaiir Elam with the 23rd overall pick in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday evening.
Elam became the 18th Gators defensive back to be drafted since 2010, including the sixth first-rounder. The Gators have now had at least one defensive back taken in the last seven drafts.
The Riviera Beach, Florida, native started in 27 games during his three years in college. He broke up four passes and intercepted three in 2019, and he sealed the Gators’ win over Virginia in the Orange Bowl with a leaping interception in the final minutes. He was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team.
Elam turned in the most productive season of his career in 2020. He led the team and tied for second in the SEC with 11 passes broken up, and he also intercepted a couple of passes. He was named as a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, and the coaches voted him to their All-SEC First Team.
A sprained knee and opponents’ reluctancy to throw his way led to a down year statistically for him in 2021. He broke up only five passes and didn’t make an interception after week two.
Elam is long (6-foot-2), fast and physical, and he projects as an excellent man-to-man coverage cornerback in the NFL.
There was initially some speculation that Elam might slip into the second round because of his decreased production as a junior, but his 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine and his 37 1/2-inch vertical jump at Pro Day allowed him to sneak into the back end of the first round.